Category Archives: Movie Adaptations

Catching Fire To Film In Hawaii

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Fans have been eagerly awaiting any news regarding the film adaptation of Catching Fire. It was recently announced that the highly anticipated sequel to the The Hunger Games will be shooting a portion of the film in Hawaii.

The set for the 75th Annual Hunger Games will be shooting in Kauai, a small Hawaiian island. In the novel, the 75th Annual Hunger Games is known as the Third Quarter Quell takes place on an island arena thats works as a clock.

While the casting for the major roles of the sequel have not been settled, just yet, we can expect the announcement to be soon due to the fact the film must finish filming by December. The two incredibly anticipated roles of Johanna Mason and Finnick Odair have not been cast and fans have been rampantly debating who should play the roles.

“Catching Fire,” Finnick Odair and the Third Quarter Quell will strike theaters late November 2013.

Rewrites Needed For World War Z Reshoots

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The film adaptation of Max Brooks’ World War Z has already gone through hell trying to get made. It has been delayed over and over again. Originally planned for release this December, the project was pushed to June of next year to accommodate extensive reshoots, and now it is being reported that there are some massive rewrites involved in the reshoots as well.

The Hollywood Reporter has said that writer Damon Lidelof has been brought in to rewrite the scenes involved in the reshoot. Lindelof is most known for his work on the recently released film Prometheus as well as the television show “LOST.”

The original script was drafted by Matthew Michael Carnahan.

World War Z is set to star  Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale, Matthew Fox and David Morse, revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself.

The film is scheduled to be released on June 21, 2013.

Tom Holland To Adapt King’s Ten O’Clock People For The Big Screen

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Director Tom Holland, known for his work on Fright Night and Child’s Play, has announced plans to adapt Stephen King’s Ten O’Clock People, for the big screen. This will be Holland’s third adaptation of King’s work, following The Langoliers and Thinner.

Holland, no stranger to the genre, took an extended hiatus from directing, and returned in 2007 as a featured director in the Masters of Horror series for Showtime. He also is currently writing and directing “Twisted Tales,” a series of shorts for FEARnet.

Ten O’Clock People is a short story published in 1993 as part of King’s “Nightmares and Dreamscapes” collection. Five stories from the collection were previously adapted by way of an anthology series presented by TNT called “Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King.” However, The Ten O’Clock People was not one of the stories chosen for the series.

It is set in Boston, Mass., rather than in King’s typical setting of Maine. The story also alludes to several of King’s other works including Low Men in Yellow Coats and The Dark Tower, which both feature the malevolent creatures called Can-Toi. These creatures strongly resemble the “batmen” of Ten O’Clock People.

ShockTillYouDrop described the short story as following “the story follows Brandon Pearson, who in trying to kick his smoking habit uncovers a frightening aspect of reality, he plans to extinguish through extreme measures.”

According to Holland, the tale was inspired by King’s own struggle with quitting smoking.

“[This story] was Stephen trying to deal with his cigarette jones and the fairly new no-smoking laws back in the 90’s,” Holland said. “This film will be a modernization of the original short story, a paranoid suspense piece.”

Producers Nathaniel Kramer and E.J. Meyers said next year will be busy for King.

“With Ron Howard’s The Dark Tower adaptation and remakes of Carrie and The Stand on the horizon, 2013 is shaping up to be the year of King,” they said. “We’re excited to be contributing to it.”

Ten O’Clock People will start filming this summer.

New Production Video Released For The Hobbit

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Peter Jackson, the famed director helming The Hobbit, has released Production Video #7, a 14 minute tour of Stone Street Studio. It was also announced by Warner Bros. Pictures that the premiere of “An Unexpected Journey” the first of two Hobbit films will take place on November 28th in New Zealand.

According to a press release from Warner Bros. Pictures the plot for both films is as follows:

An Unexpected Journey

The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargsand Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever…Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

There and Back Again

Thorin and Company have reached Lake-town and it is time for the hobbit Bilbo Baggins to fulfill his contract with the dwarves. The party must complete the journey to Lonely Mountain and burglar Baggins must seek out the Secret Door that will give them access to the hoard of the dragon Smaug. If Bilbo and the others are able to gain the treasure, will they be able to keep it? And will they discover what has become of the wizard Gandalf?

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will hit 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters on December 14 and will be followed up by The Hobbit: There and Back Again on December 13, 2013.

You can watch Production Video #7 below:

The film has a very large cast with several award winning and well known actors including:

  • Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit and the protagonist of the film.
  • Ian Holm as old Bilbo Baggins.
  • Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey: A wizard who recruits Bilbo and helps to arrange the quest to reclaim the Dwarves’ lost treasure in Erebor.
  • Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield: The leader of the Company of Dwarves who have set out to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from Smaug the dragon.
  • Graham McTavish as Dwalin: One of the Company of Dwarves that accompanies Bilbo and Thorin on the Quest of Erebor.
  • Ken Stott as Balin: A member of the Company of Dwarves and the brother of Dwalin. He is described in the novel as “always their look-out man.
  • Aidan Turner as Kíli: One of Thorin’s nephews who sets out on the Quest of Erebor.
  • Dean O’Gorman as Fíli.
  • Mark Hadlow as Dori: A member of the Company of Dwarves. He is described in the novel as “a decent fellow, despite his grumbling,” while Thorin described him as being the strongest member of the Company.
  • Jed Brophy as Nori: A member of the Company of Dwarves and brother of Dori and Ori.
  • Adam Brown as Ori: A member of the Company of Dwarves. The role will mark Brown’s first film appearance.
  • John Callen as Óin: A member of the Company of Dwarves and brother of Glóin.
  • Peter Hambleton as Glóin: A member of the Company of Dwarves and brother of Óin.
  • William Kircher as Bifur: One of the twelve companions of Thorin and Bilbo on the Quest of Erebor and the cousin of Bofur and Bombur.
  • James Nesbitt as Bofur: One of the Company of Dwarves and the cousin of Bifur and brother of Bombur, he is described as “a disarmingly forthright, funny and occasionally brave Dwarf.”
  • Stephen Hunter as Bombur: Described in the novel as being fat and clumsy, he is the brother of Bofur and the cousin of Bifur.
  • Andy Serkis as Gollum.
  • Hugo Weaving as Elrond: The Elven master of Rivendell. Elrond gives shelter to Bilbo’s party, after which, presumably, the two become friends.
  • Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug: One of the last remaining dragons in Middle-earth. He guards the treasure in Erebor.
    • Also voices the Necromancer: Ruler of the stronghold of Dol Guldur in southern Mirkwood; he is later revealed to be Sauron and is driven out by the White Council.
  • Mikael Persbrandt as Beorn: A shape-shifter (or, in the actual text, a “skin-changer”), a man who could assume the appearance of a great black bear. In the novel, he lives with his animal retinue (horses, dogs and cows, among others) in a wooden house between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood. Beorn received Gandalf, Bilbo and the 13 Dwarves and aided them in their quest to reclaim the Dwarves’ kingdom beneath Erebor, the Lonely Mountain. He was convinced of their trustworthiness after confirming their tale of encountering the Goblins of the Misty Mountains and Gandalf’s slaying of their leader, the Great Goblin.
  • Lee Pace as Thranduil: Referred to in the novel as “The Elvenking”, he is the ruler of the realm of the northern part of Mirkwood. He is also the father of Legolas. In the novel, the Dwarves are captured by Thranduil’s guards and locked in his dungeons when they refuse to divulge their intentions.
  • Stephen Fry as Master of Lake-town: The leader of the settlement of Men at Lake-town near the Lonely Mountain.
  • Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman: Bard of Esgaroth was a skilled archer and the heir of Girion, the last king of old Dale, described as “grim faced”. He rallied the guards to defend the town when the Dragon came, slaying the dragon himself. He later leads the Men of Esgaroth at the Battle of Five Armies and is crowned king of the re-founded Dale.
  • Billy Connolly as Dáin II Ironfoot: A great dwarf warrior, ruler of the Iron Hills and cousin of Thorin Oakenshield.
  • Barry Humphries as the Great Goblin: The ruler of the underground caverns in the Misty Mountains.
  • Christopher Lee as Saruman the White: Head of Gandalf’s Order of Wizards and the White Council.
  • Cate Blanchett as Galadriel: An Elf and the co-ruler of Lothlórien along with her husband, Lord Celeborn.
  • Sylvester McCoy as Radagast the Brown: A wizard of Gandalf’s Order.
  • Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins: A hobbit and favourite relative of Bilbo Baggins.
  • Jeffrey Thomas as Thrór: King of Durin’s folk, the son of Dáin I, father of Thráin II and grandfather of Thorin Oakenshield.
  • Mike Mizrahi as Thráin II: A Dwarven king, Thráin is the son of Thrór and father of Thorin Oakenshield.
  • Conan Stevens as Azog: An Orc chieftain of Moria. He killed King Thrór, who came to revisit the ruins of Khazad-dûm. In the following years, he was the common enemy of all Dwarves and the war he started climaxed in the Battle of Azanulbizar, where he killed Náin, only to be himself slain by Náin’s son Dáin II Ironfoot.
  • Orlando Bloom as Legolas: The Elven Prince of Mirkwood and the son of Thranduil.
  • Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel: A female elf from Mirkwood. Her name means “daughter of Mirkwood”.
  • Bret McKenzie as Lindir: An Elf of Rivendell.
  • Ryan Gage as Alfrid:The Master of Laketown’s “conniving” servant.
  • John Bell as a yet-unnamed character who “is confident and brave and ready to do battle if required even though he is still a boy.”

Darren Aronofsky To Adapt Biblical Epic

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Darren Aronofsky, director of 2010’s controversial ballet thriller Black Swan, is currently casting the main roles for Noah, a biblical epic that will star Russell Crowe.

Christian Bale and Michael Fassbender were both initially considered for the lead role, but neither could take it due to scheduling conflicts, according to IMDb.com. Aronofsky also chose Douglas Booth for the role of Noah’s son Shem, according to Deadline.com.

Noah’s older son Ham will be played by Logan Lerman. The role of Noah’s wife, Naameh, has yet to be cast, though Deadline reported that Jennifer Connelly is being considered for the part, among others. Connelly had previously starred alongside Crowe in A Beautiful Mind to wide critical acclaim.

While there are rumors that Liam Neeson may join the cast as well nothing has been confirmed.

The film is being co-financed by Paramount and New Regency.

It is Aronofsky’s follow-up to Black Swan, which earned Fox Searchlight Pictures’ highest per-theater average gross ever, and received widespread critical acclaim.

Noah is expected to be released March 28, 2014.

Guillermo del Toro Announces Adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “The Witches”

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Director Guillermo del Toro recently announced that he has plans to adapt the novel “The Witches” by Roald Dahl for the big screen. The novel was originally published in London in 1983.

I think it’s the best screenplay I’ve ever written in any form,” he said in an interview.  “I adore that project, and it met with the approval of Dahl’s widow, who loved it and felt it was completely respectful of the book, but it’s not moving at all.”

The film would be done in stop-motion animation, according to ShockTillYouDrop.com. The book was previously made into a movie in 1990 starting Anjelica Huston and Rowan Atkinson but was live action as opposed to this reincarnation which will be stop-motion.

To find out more about The Witches, read the plot summary below:

This Roald Dahl classic tells the scary, funny and imaginative tale of a seven-year-old boy who has a run-in with some real-life witches! “In fairy tales witches always wear silly black hats and black cloaks and they ride on broomsticks. But this is not a fairy tale. This is about REAL WITCHES. REAL WITCHES dress in ordinary clothes and look very much like ordinary women. They live in ordinary houses and they work in ordinary jobs. That is why they are so hard to catch.” Witches, as our hero learns, hate children. With the help of a friend and his somewhat-magical grandmother, our hero tries to expose the witches before they dispose of him.” -GoodReads.com

Del Toro is also considering directing Trollhunters, and animated film for Dreamworks, based on a novel he co-penned with Daniel Kraus.

Del Toro told Variety he has “given up” guessing what he’ll do next, and working on a slew of other films, including Pinocchio and a Romeo and Juliet-style film set against the backdrop of Mexico’s Day of the Dead. His new projects including his work on developing numerous animated kids films, in addition to working on his next feature film Pacific Rim.

Del Toro most recently worked on kid-friendly films Puss in Boots and Kung Fu Panda 2. 

The director said he will get around to helming an animated film himself some day, and that it’s just a matter of timing.

Snow White and the Huntsman Tops Domestic Box Office

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Universal Pictures’ Snow White and the Huntsman topped the domestic weekend box office with earnings of $56.3 million from 3,773 theaters. That’s an average of $14,910 per theater.

Rupert Sanders made his directorial debut with the film, which stars Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron,Chris Hemsworth and Sam Claflin. Snow White earned $39.3 million in 45 international markets, and $95.6 million worldwide.

The film cost $170 million to make, not counting marketing expenses, according to ComingSoon.net.

Sony’s Men in Black 3 dropped 46.3 percent in ticket sales, putting it in second place with $29.3 million in North America in its second week. Made for $225 million, the film has earned $112.3 million in North America after two weeks. Internationally, it took first place at the box office with $78.6 million for an international total of $274.6 million and worldwide total of $386.9 million.

Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, which doesn’t open in North America until June 8, opened in 15 markets overseas, earning $35 million. The sci-fi thriller stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green and Charlize Theron.

Marvel’s The Avengers earned $20.3 million domestically in its fifth weekend in theaters, for a total of $552.7 million. Internationally, The Avengers has earned $802.5 million for a worldwide total of $1.355 billion.

Friday, the film passed The Dark Knight ($533.3 million) for the third spot on the all-time domestic box office list, according to ComingSoon.net. It also passed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2 ($1.328 billion) for the third spot on the all-time worldwide list.

Universal’s Battleship took fourth place in North America, earning $4.8 million and has earned $55.1 million.

Paramount’s The Dictator was number five with $4.73 million. It has earned $50.8 million after three weeks.

Treasure Island Gets New Life With Guy Ritchie

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Guy Ritchie, known for his work on Sherlock Holmes, will direct a new version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s pirate tale “Treasure Island.” It was also announced that Alex Harakis (Another Life) will write the script.

Treasure Island is a pretty universally known tale by Stevenson. It was first published in novel form in 1883, however, it was initially serialized in a children magazine under the title Treasure Island; or, the mutiny of the Hispaniola with Stevenson adopting the pseudonym Captain George North.

The book has been so intermingled with culture that many of the stereotypes we have for pirates originated with this novel including treasure maps marked with an “X”, schooners, the Black Spot,tropical islands, and one-legged seamen carrying parrots on their shoulders.

There has also been no shortages of adaptations of the famous story. There have been over 50 movie and TV versions made with the most recent notable incarnation being in 2002  with Treasure Planet – A Disney animated version set in space, with Long John Silver as a cyborg and many of the original characters re-imagined as aliens and robots, except for Jim and his mother, who are human.

The official plot summary for the novel is as follows:

Heady tale of a treasure map, a perilous sea journey across the Spanish Main, a mutiny led by the infamous Long John Silver, and a lethal scramble for buried treasure as seen through the eyes of cabin boy Jim Hawkins. An action-packed adventure story that will hypnotize young readers and entertain older ones.

Ritchie will produce along with Lionel Wigram (Sherlock Holmes) and Kevin McCormick (Saturday Night Fever). It was Wigram who originally adapted a stylized version of the novel, according to Deadline.com, as he also did with Sherlock Holmes, which Ritchie directed. Wigram set up the story before he and Ritchie became partners.

There is no word of when the big screen adaptation will hit theaters or who will star in the production.

Marvel Cinematic Blu-Ray Collection Revealed

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In a film where so many superhero story lines culminate into one amazing battle, it is no surprise that the Blu-Ray collection will have to be equally spectacular. It was announced that Marvel’s The Avengers, which is still number two at the box office, will be released on DVD and Blu-ray later this year and with it comes a worthy collector’s edition.

There is no official release date yet, but Amazon is advertising a related product. A Blu-Ray collection titled Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One- Avengers Assembled will be a 10-disc set.

The tentative list of content is as follows:

  • Marvel’s The Avengers (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)
  • Captain America: The First Avenger (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)
  • Thor (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)
  • Iron Man 2 (Blu-ray)
  • The Incredible Hulk (Blu-ray)
  • Iron Man (Blu-ray)
  • Bonus Disc- The Phase One Archives (Blu-ray)
  • Collectible packaging with exclusive memorabilia from the Marvel Cinematic Universe

The list also includes the below image, which suggests the set’s design was inspired by the briefcase Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury uses to transport the Cosmic Cube.

The set is scheduled to be revealed July 15 and you can currently pre-order the collection for $153.00.

Marvel’s The Avengers is the superhero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as SHIELD, finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

This new film is being directed by the (incredibly amazing) Joss Whedon and and sports an all star cast.  It includes:

  • Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man:
A self-described genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist with a mechanical suit of armor of his own invention. 
  • Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America:
A World War II veteran who was enhanced to the peak of human physicality by an experimental serum. 
  • Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner / Hulk:
A genius scientist who, because of exposure to gamma radiation, transforms into a monster when enraged or excited. Ruffalo was cast after negotiations between Marvel and Edward Norton broke down.

  • Lou Ferrigno will voice the Hulk.
  • Chris Hemsworth as Thor:
The god of thunder based on the Norse deity of the same name. Hemsworth was cast as part of a multiple movie deal. Hemsworth stated that he was able to maintain the strength he built up for Thor by increasing his food intake, consisting of a number of chicken breasts, fish, steak and eggs a day.
  • Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow:
A highly trained spy working for the international peacekeeping organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. 
  • Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye:
A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and master archer known in the comics as the “World’s Greatest Marksman”. Renner said it was a very physical role and that he trained physically and practiced archery as much as possible in preparation. 
  • Tom Hiddleston as Loki:
Thor’s adoptive brother and nemesis based on the deity of the same name. 
  • Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury:
The director of S.H.I.E.L.D., who was revealed in previous films to be coordinating the “Avenger Initiative”. Jackson was brought to the project with a deal containing an option to play the character in up to nine Marvel films.
  • Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill:
A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who works closely with Jackson’s Nick Fury. 

Safe Haven Casting Update Featuring Julianne Hough

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Julianne Hough, from the upcoming rock musical, Rock of Ages, signed on to play the female lead alongside Josh Duhamel, from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, in the big-screen adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ 2010 novel “Safe Haven.” Lasse Hallström, most known for his work on Chocolat, will be directing the project.

Hough will play Katie, a young woman with a dark secret, who travels to a small North Carolina town. While there, she meets a widowed store owner named Alex (Duhamel), and begins to trust and get close to him.

Safe Haven will begin production next month, and is scheduled to open in theaters Feb. 8, 2013.

View the book’s official summary below:

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo’s empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

Sparks, who is no stranger to the film adaptation world has his 7 of his novels adapted with Safe Haven being the eight and a ninth recently optioned. His adapted works include:

  • Message in a Bottle (February 12, 1999)
  • A Walk to Remember (January 25, 2002)
  • The Notebook (June 25, 2004)
  • Nights in Rodanthe (September 26, 2008)
  • Dear John (February 5, 2010)
  • The Last Song (March 31, 2010)
  • The Lucky One (April 20, 2012)
  • Safe Haven (film)
  • The Best of Me (film)